You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

Worried about adequate calorie intake for 11 mo. old

Sorry, I wasn't sure whether to post this question here or in the solids section because I'm concerned about my son's combined intake of solids and breastmilk.

My big problem is lack of time+distracted baby+older sibling. My 11-month-old son WILL NOT nurse when big sis is around. She is just too fun to look at and he cannot bear to miss one minute of whatever she's doing. So, right now, he nurses about two to three times at night and maybe has two nursing sessions in the daytime. He has about 4 wet diapers a day and one soiled diaper.

My other concern is that I just don't ever seem to have enough time to make sure he gets three meals of solids per day. Between bringing DD to kindergarten and picking her up, keeping both kids entertained at home (DS is extremely clingy and high-needs, so I can't leave him to play on the floor while I cook), etc., I just can't seem to get it together and prepare three square meals for DS AND deal with the cleanup after (he's not a tidy eater). Usually, what he gets are more like a handful of green peas here, a chunk of bread there, some scrambled egg, etc. The sad thing is that he LOVES food and eats it so hungrily that I feel like he needs more. Also, DS gave up the third nap early (again, because he refused to nap when DD was around) and his bedtime became 5pm or I would have had a crazily tired baby on my hands, but this early bedtime makes it that much harder to find time to squeeze in a third meal.

I wish I could at least nurse him more to make sure he's getting enough calories, but it's such a battle to get him to take the breast in the daytime. He will readily drink water but I keep hesitating to offer too much, in the hopes that he will get thirsty and nurse. Is that wrong? Should I be worried about dehydration--I do feel his wet-diaper output is rather minimal?

My mom is always telling me that I'm starving my kid and she even commented today that he's looking small these days and isn't growing as well as he used to. Makes me so anxious!

Re: Worried about adequate calorie intake for 11 mo. old

I totally hear you on how distracting older siblings are! Especially when baby is at that late infancy age. My LO was exactly the same at that age (except she has two older siblings to distract her). But she got more focused on nursing again as she got older - now the big kids can be jumping on the bed next to her and she will still nurse if that's what she wants.

Just to say, baby being too distracted to nurse in the daytime - textbook normal! Are you nursing a lot at night? That will more than make up for any daytime distraction. As for worrying about three meals - I would not worry about it at this age. Remember, before one solids are all about fun and practice. The good thing is he likes solids so you should be in good shape when it comes time to ramp up the solids. I would just integrate his meals together with your own meals and your older daughter's. If early bedtime is preventing the third meal for DS at this point, as his sleep schedule evolves you can add that third meal back in. But a lot of babies that age are still only eating a bite here and there, so certainly nothing to worry about.

As for growth slowing down - that is also normal. Babies grow the most at the beginning, then slow down (and food intake slows down too). You can see that just looking at the normal growth curves, right?

I probably wouldn't give too much water at this point and encourage the breastfeeding instead. If baby is thirsty he will nurse. He won't get dehydrated as long as he has easy access to the breast.

A burgeoning toddler and an older sister can be a challenge, it sounds like you are doing great!

Re: Worried about adequate calorie intake for 11 mo. old

Re: Worried about adequate calorie intake for 11 mo. old

I found my baby would reliably nurse after eating solids if I did not offer water with them. she was thirsty then and would nurse. I also have the challenge of been very busy and running around as my now 18-month-old has two big brothers with school and sports and everything else. So it can be really challenging to do meals on the go. I totally understand.
I would suggest the book 'help my child won't eat'. I think you will find it reassuring.

Re: Worried about adequate calorie intake for 11 mo. old

I was really relieved to read the replies! I was so sure someone was going to confirm my fears that I was doing everything ALL WRONG I do know solids are just for practice and such until a baby turns one, but since that's just a few weeks away, and pretty soon he will truly need food, I just worry that I'm not going to be able to get organized and make actual meals for this poor boy.

I did hold back on the water today and it helped to get him to nurse for a *couple* of minutes, before DD was hamming it up (boy, does she love having a captivated audience) and DS was shoving me away again!

Thanks so much for the reassurances! Will definitely check out the book suggestion. Thank you!

Re: Worried about adequate calorie intake for 11 mo. old

So when it comes to solids, it's "until one, just for fun". But there's no switch that flips at 12 months where babies go from needing nothing but mama's milk to needing 3 square meals per day. A lot of babies remain predominantly breastfed well into the second year. So the time when your baby really needs solids- it may be farther away than you think.

With my kids, I found that offering multiple snacks worked better than trying to get them to sit down for meals. A handful of Cheerios here, a cup of blueberries there- it added up to plenty of food by the end of the day.